News, important questions, and some answers just one week away from reopening.
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144 thoughts on “Breaking Details: Hawaii Reopening. Approved Testing Partners. Pilot 2nd Tests”
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News, important questions, and some answers just one week away from reopening.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Comments are closed.
Mahalo nui loa for all the work of keeping October15th as opeing date..I have had to reschedule so many times returning
resident.Been yrying since March so many issues there all about keeping everyone healthy willing to test as many times as needed just need to get back to Kona…
Hi Darlene.
Thanks. Hope it works out this time for you to get to Kona.
Aloha.
This is all so unclear. On the official hawaiicovid19.com website, it states any NAAT test from an approved CLIA lab is acceptable. It does list the “travel partners” but does NOT state the test has to be done by one of these partners ONLY. See “What is the pre-travel test program?” Is this not the official government website?
So many indecisions on one test or two from the Big Island has forced us to cancel our trip. The stress of every decision changing daily is not worth the trip. I feel bad for the residents of Big Island’s businesses.
I’m so confused. I thought any NAAT/PCR test from a CLIA Lab was acceptable. Now it has to come from one of the named testing partners? We have reservations to come 10/15 and am extremely concerned now about my ability to get a test. I have called the repeatedly and gotten nothing but voicemail with no call backs. I already have an appointment for a NAAT test at a CLIA lab, but not with one of the partners listed above. We can’t get more information from CVS until 10/10. Vault won’t guarantee I get test results back before I board my flight unless I rebook with Hawaiian Air. I’m not a Kaiser member. So frustrating. I’m willing to comply with any rules the state of Hawaii has but this is ridiculous.
Why won’t anyone answer this question: Are the employees of the resorts and restaurants have to get tested for Covid also?
Thats a big no! I understand why the locals are scared of tourism but… we are statistically more likely to get covid from the locals after having a negative covid test?
Aloha everyone,
I checked out the Hawaiian Airline websites about their COVID-19 testing. It seems pretty straightforward. But the catch will be careful planning due to time constraint for the test within 72 hours result: $90
1) Ordering the kit: shipping and handling free
2) How long will it take for the kit to arrive?
3) Do the test via Zoom video link.
4) You have to mail it back-in right away. Expedited shipping and handling included. That’s where it becomes nerve wracking!
5) Awaiting results within 72 hours.
I am still awaiting the $139: 30 minute rapid testing website information.
Good luck and Mahalo
Hi Lou.
Thanks for that information.
Aloha.
Aloha, The state has a posting regarding the pre-travel test that seems to imply that the test can be “Any approved Nucleic Acid Amplification Test performed at a CLIA certified lab.”
This makes it sound like we can go to our regular health care provider (as long as the associated lab is CLIA certified) for the test, rather than a Hawaii designated provider?
Mahalo,
Barbara
Hi Barbara.
At this point, as has been made abundantly clear by the state lieutenant governor for the past week, only the trusted partners will be able to provide approved tests. Sorry for the confusion which we see as well from the state’s other information.
Aloha.
I wonder why American Airlines is not on your list. We will be getting tested November 7th at DFW airport before leaving on our Maui flight.
Am I correct in assuming American Airlines will be included. Am I correct?
Thank you
Jill B.
Hi Jill.
This is not our list, it is the list provided by the State of Hawaii. American Airlines is not listed as a trusted partner at this time. That’s all we know.
Aloha.
The state Website says the test must be “Take FDA-authorized Nucleic Acid Amplification
Test (NAAT) from a certified CLIA lab”. This article says “Trusted Partners”. I got a certification letter from our lab but now you give a list of approved partners (who do not all meet the previous requirement). So which is required the CLIA Lab or one of the businesses listed above? Does it have to be one of these businesses or simply that these are known to meet the CLIA requirement. Thank you!
Hi Amy.
Only tests from the trusted partners listed will be approved at this time.
Aloha.
In completing the Safe Travels application, they ask for Travel members. I assume they mean other members of your traveling party? Does each individual have to sign up for the app? IE If I travel with my wife she is my travel member and vice versa?
Mahalo!
Hi Jon.
Good point. We don’t know the answer, but hopefully, if you call them, they can help. 1-855-599-0888.
Aloha.
Actually, once you go thru the online setup, only minors can be your “travel partners”. All adults over 18 must setup their own account.
Not sure if the Safe Travels app has the same requirement yet but I checked out several testing options and for each they required that each traveler had a unique email address, including kids. I assume the email address will be the key unique identifier when syncing results between the approved testing sites and the Hawaii Save Travels app. Vault mail testing was one example of this. It makes sense too that they are requiring everyone to use their approved providers. Will be easier to sync results to the Save Travels app and quickly check arrivals have a valid test without long queuing in the airports which in turn would create more exposure risks. Working in IT and system integrations it seems logical to me for them to start with a set list and expand when they can. I am going to setup accounts for each family member on the testing site and see if there is a way to sync them to 1 Safe Travels account. If they cant all feed into Safe Travels then will simply set up an account for each family member.
Please clarify, if my doctor sends in an order to our hospital for a test for me, will it be valid? We have a long time planned trip to visit, first, big island for one week, and then go to Kauai for one week. Is this trip going to be possible? Will my negative test qualify? Should we change to only one island for 2 weeks? We’re in our 70s. This may be our only and last time we’ll be able to make this trip from Indiana.. Answers would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Patricia.
Only tests from the list of trusted partners we listed will be accepted at this time according to the state. There are no exceptions.
Aloha.
I have a 1 week trip set for Oct 22 to the big island. I just want to know when the opt out will or will not be confirmed so I can just reschedule without losing money for my stay. Can the islands opt out? Are there any that have opted in? Thanks
Hi Marlen.
No further information for the moment as negotiations are in process.
Aloha.
You can go to Hawaii but you can’t do anything.
Most Bars, restaurants and Tourist attractions will be closed.
I canceled our December trip to Kaua’i yesterday (our 14th trip to Hawaii) because there is just too much confusion over this whole situation. We were just going to be there a week, so the Kaua’i mayor’s desire for an additional 3 day quarantine was a deal breaker. I’ll wait and see how it goes before rebooking. We have a trip to Maui booked for February. Hopefully this keystone cops movie will be over by then.
Are NAAT tests from my state or county health facility accepted?
I also see that some airline partners links offer rapid testing with results within 24 hours, are these tests also being accepted?
A couple of our family members just got tested (nasal swab) at Kaiser Permanente here in California. Will that test me good enough?
Please discard my question – I somehow did not see KAISER is on the approved list
I see the list of “trusted partners” the article includes some airline. However I can’t find that on the State website. It only list health care partners and the next section says check with your airlines. Can you direct me towards that info? I am specifically try to find out more about Southwest which you have listed but not linked. Is this possible that this is related to Oakland Airport (major Southwest hub) doing testing?
Thanks for all the great info
Hi Brad.
There was a list of partners that was shown during the press conference and that is where those came from, including the airlines.
Aloha.
Well, we just cancelled our tickets to Kona for the last week of October, on the news yesterday that the Big Island was definitely opting out. So now they aren’t, but are, but won’t decide until the day of? Or maybe they won’t decide at all and just let it happen? At this rate, people might be on the plane to Hawaii and find out after landing that some official decided to change the rules, and find themselves being escorted into a hotel prison for 2 weeks. I don’t know what to think anymore.
We all want Hawaii to be safe and economically survive. But if this is how disorganized and indecisive the state government is, after 7 months of time to plan (or just sit around and wait, apparently)… then a minuscule handful of possible mainland visitors that might slip through the cracks is probably the least of the state’s problems.
Say it louder for the people in the back!
So much bs, it just goes on and on when it comes to hawaii. Such low standards, maybe lowest in the nation and no state government accountability and hospitality to tourists.
Covid should take a backseat to all that as of june 1 when Florida opened. Maybe sans tourists, Hawaiians will have to work harder now just to get by instead of just hoping for the best and doing as little as possible?
Although there are a few airline options, I’d like to recommend Hawaiian Airlines for travel. They employ (or did employ) 7000+ Hawaiian citizens, many would like to get back called back to their jobs.
They have done a lot for the community during these rough times. Food drives, and other community events.
They have provided essential cargo services and passenger service to the islands at a financial loss.
Finally they took on the task of setting up testing on the mainland to aid in ease of travel. (Other airlines have done this also, but Hawaiian is one of the smallest airlines in the country, and to set this up with their small size is a huge undertaking).
Bottom line, Hawaii is hurting and Hawaiian Airlines is one of the largest employers out here and also had one of the largest mass layoffs in the islands. Helping Hawaiian directly helps the State of Hawaii recover.
Mahalo,
Hawaiian employee
Trusted partner should include any that are certified within a state, not just those in Hawaii. University Medical Center in Las Vegas offers and performs the most tests in the largest county of Nevada, why isn’t it included. It automatically should include any laboratory certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988(CLIA), 42 U.S.C. §263a, and meet
the requirements to perform high complexity tests, as per Laboratory Instructions
for Use that was reviewed by the FDA.
No reason to isolate the Hawaii favored companies when the mainland has many more approved laboratories following the approved HHS and FDA regulations.
Thank you Beat of Hawaii for your timely information and interpreting the politics behind the pre travel program. You’ve been mentioning for days about requiring specific test providers and were right on about that. Because of this post I was able to secure the last two test appointments so we can make my flight. Thank you. I’m looking forward to a socially distance and mask filled trip. [No sarcasm intended]
Hi AW.
So glad that worked out for you to get those tests. Thanks for your comments!
Aloha.
So these “partners” only exist in the US.
What about international travelers. Will they be required to quarantine because it’s impossible to get a test from one of those “partners.”???
I saw an article today saying that the mayor of Kauai is still considering opting out. This is all so confusing for someone that is trying to book a trip in November.
I found the press conference informative. I would suggest watching the recording is a good way for many who have not yet to gain some clarity. Or at least provides an opportunity to draw your own conclusions. As sadly a lot of what was said is open to interpretation for sure. It can be found on the governors Facebook page.
My key conclusions…
– must get testing within 72 hours of departure of leg of flight to Hawaii
– testing must be with a trusted partner and that will be strictly enforced. Sounds like partners are getting ramped up. Thank you for sharing the list. Going to their websites I see even more info.
– the governor says he was not informed that any mayors will not participate in the program. He also says it is up to them. He also says he expects all will open 10/15. To me this means of course he is aware of Mayor Kim’s public comments. However, they are negotiating opening (of course the mayors want more testing and protective supplies and this is a way to possibly get it) and he expects agreement otherwise he would simply say that the big island is not opening up and put the pressure on the major. Instead in order to have complete buy-in he wants the majors to make their own decision to be on board.
– For the second test it will be optional and they even mentioned incentivizing people to take the test and reach the goal of 10% taking the 2nd test. It will be for data purposes to ensure not too many are falsely passing the first test and/or getting sick during travel. There will be no quarantine and there will be no cost is how we interpreted this.
End result is we have renewed confidence that our nov 20 trip will work out. Only time will tell. And hopefully more clarity will come.
Mahalo Beat of Hawaii for keeping us all informed.
Hi Kyle.
Basically, you had the same takeaways that we did. Thanks for your many comments.
ALoha.
Kyle. You should receive post of the year award.. loved your analysis and lack of vitriol so common with those understandably frustrated With life in The midst Of COVID. Reasoned analysis always informs. Rancorous opines May make one initially feel better, but information always trump opinion.
Has there been any discussion about how to get covid-positive tourists OFF of the island? Could there be designated flights to get them back to mainland before they become sick enough to require hospitalization? What happens if a tourist gets covid-19 near the end of their trip and they don’t have the funds for an extra two weeks in an approved hotel?
Please keep up the good work and information. I live in California and had to cancel our September Kona trip. All this testing info, hotel bubbles, current guidelines in the state of Hawaii can be confusing; especially without complete details. Even if you can take visitors again, does each island set their own restrictions? They list Kaiser as a test partner – does that mean I can go to my local Kaiser facility in California and get the 72 hr test? Thank you
Hi Kym.
Yes, you can contact your local Kaiser or perhaps check first on their testing website. It does not appear at this time that different islands will have different rules. That isn’t a workable situation and the governor is negotiating towards that outcome.
Aloha.
KYM V
I called my local Kaiser and they told me if I am not a Kaiser insurance member they will NOT do a test for me. Guess I can take them of the list of places to get this test.
Mahalo BOH for keeping level heads, clear communication & ongoing current updates on Hawai’i & the local government’s plans to reopen. Fingers crossed things go well & all relevant & necessary questions get an answer. Still hoping to maybe plan a Christmas visit if the creases are ironed out:) Thanks for being a voice of calm reason in a chaotic Covid storm !
Hi Nita.
Thanks for the nice words, and for being a regular commenter (49 to date). We hope that works out for you at Christmas.
Aloha.
“Answers were still unclear”…”how that will be managed has not been made clear”…”the governor did not offer specifics one way or the other”…”it is not yet clear who will pay for these tests”. All these updates from the Governor and the Lt. Governor and still no answers. Do they honestly expect the airlines to start booking more flights, island businesses to rehire all their people and the travelers to move forward with purchasing thousands of dollars worth of plane tickets and hotel or condo reservations based on those kind of answers ? This is just like watching a train wreck in slow motion. It is exhausting and painful to watch, and the people of Hawaii deserve better.
The Safe Travels app still needs some work. I’ve tried for several days to enter data (birthday, phone, nationality) without success. Hopefully the app will be functioning in time for our trip in 2 weeks.
Mark
I just signed up and it worked perfectly. Did it from mobile phone. (iOS).
Progress?
Freudian slip guys on “Governor” Green?
Everything is so confusing and every day becomes even more confusing.
Mahalo for being there for everyone!
You’re awesome.
Hi Pam.
Thanks for that correction and everything else. 🙂
Aloha.
So it looks like Oahu still can’t get it together with the outer islands. He didn’t know about Hawaii opting out? Really? I guess we’ll wait even longer to know what will happen. It’s pretty amazing. Thanks.
Hi Joan.
Yes, it is all uncharted and fast-changing territory, that’s for sure. Thanks.
Aloha.
i live in washington state and have travel october 27
cvs isn’t offering testing in washington state and kaiser is only if you are a member
hawaii has not provided us a solution to be tested and travel beginning october 15
please help this is our this reschedule of a two week trip
Hi Nanc.
We believe that some of the providers like Vault are or will be offering at-home testing that should be accepted so please keep an eye out or check back with us in a few days as the dust settles on the partnerships.
Aloha.
Hi Nanc,
I called Vault yesterday and you can purchase a mail in test. But without a reservation on Hawaiian Air, the turnaround time is up to 72 hours AFTER they receive the sample. Which may mean you need to board the flight without having your test results back. However they do seem like a good option if you are flying with Hawaiian.
I looked carefully at the list of providers today. In WA state I found Walgreens and Carbon Health if you are flying on Alaska Airlines. If you are in southern WA and traveling to Portland is an option then I noticed a provider there but don’t remember who they were. There are definitely more options today than before.
Nanc,
You might want to check Walgreens. They’re offering testing in WA. My wife and I are planninging to use the Walgreens in Bremerton for our trip. Hope this helps.
My wife and I will be travelling to Hawaii in December. We live in South Korea and can get tested in the hospital here and have the results in 24 hours. Will this test be accepted or not. They do a lot of testing here and are much more strict that in Hawaii regarding masks and social distancing. We have never had a true lock-down like in Hawaii and when the number of cases go up we have to have out temperature checked to get on Camp Humphreys. We must wear masks when we are in public and when we go into the buildings on Camp Humphreys. The reason why cases are so low in Korea with a population of approx. 53 million is because people listen and do what is right. The majority of cases in Hawaii I’m willing to bet is from family clusters living in crowded places. I am also from Hawaii and know what the living is like.
The airlines are offering rapid tests, as are some of the labs like Carbon Health. Are these acceptable? They are not as sensitive as the nasal swab PCR tests, but it looks like they are on the Hawaii government trusted partner list. Yet the government website seems to indicate that tests must be PCR/NAAT.
Where do we get clarification?
Thanks
Hi Tom.
Good question. Lt. Gov. Green had said before that rapid tests would be accepted, but there was no clarification on a partner by partner level of which tests would apply. The names of the partners were only added to the list mid-afternoon, so this is still “cooking.” We wish it was more clear.
Aloha.
Well today I postponed our Nov 1 trip (originally April 2020). Will give Feb 2021 a try, and hope by then all the confusion will be worked out. I held out hope for months, but it’s getting too close to risk the cost of flights / condos, etc
Well, it appears we will need to cancel our trip. We have the ability to use the SD County Health Dept testing (their results are less than 72Hr). However, since they are not a partner we will need to cancel our reservations. We are So CAL Kaiser members, and as of last week they had no clue of being a “partner” and would not test us without active symptoms.
HI Stacey,
My family and I are Northern California KP members. Send an e-mail request to your PCP for COVID-19 test for Hawaii travel mandate stating of your travel date. A link will be sent to you to book your testing date. No fees.
Good lick!
Mahalo
Aloha Stacey,
We are NCAL KP members. Just send an e-mail to your PCP to request a COVID-19 test for Hawai’i travel mandate. You should get a reply and a link within 24-48 hours from your PCP.
Please don’t forget to annotate the words Hawai’i travel mandate or you will be denied. And you will need to e-mail them again.
Trust me, it works.
Good luck and mahalo
Hawaii’s leadership reminds me of the Keystone Cops, if you’re familiar with the old movies. The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. The Governor didn’t know that the Big Island wasn’t participating? How is that possible? BOH’s readers knew it. If it wasn’t so serious, I’d be laughing at the mismanagement of the state.
Mahalo.
Hi Debby.
Thanks for the humor! Of course, he knew what was going on. That was his way of saying that it isn’t final, that he is still going through it with the majors. We got the sense they may work it out.
Aloha.
I just watched the entire press conference and came away with the same conclusion. Of course the governor is aware. He clearly doesn’t want to dictate and rightfully prefers to partner with the mayors. The way he phrased it made me conclude he believes a compromise will he reached and all the islands will open up. If he didn’t he would simply say yes the mayor is choosing not to participate. He wants the mayors to be on board voluntarily which makes sense for this to be successful. The only way they will be on board is thru making the decision to participate on their own. For them to do that they need to get as many concessions as possible for the benefit of their people such as more testing and supplies. End result is they will likely agree with opening up. I acknowledge this is just my interpretation and it could be inaccurate but I have renewed faith in the islands opening up 10/15 and being able to visit the big island in mid November.
Mahalo. Here’s to more clarity in the coming days.
Hi Kyle.
Yes, that is the situation exactly. We are optimistic about the outcome.
Aloha.
Thanks for your frequent and informative updates. We have a December trip to Oahu and a March trip to Maui. If 10% are selected for the 2nd test does that mean they will also have to quarantine for 3 days. Both of our trips are only one week long. This unknown would force me to cancel both.
Hi Shirley.
No those tests will not be with quarantine. Those were described as tests for the primary purpose of proving that the pre-arrival testing is actually working, and to what degree.
Aloha.
Aloha-You said the 2nd tests wouldn’t all be random. Can you offer any explanation of what that exactly means?
thanks
Hi Jon.
Our understanding is that, for example, they may do more testing on flights from a region that has higher infection rates.
Aloha.
I live in WA state. I can get a test from the University of WA, which is a nationally approved test lab. Will that be approved by HI?
I was in the same situation and hoping that the UW lab would be accepted. But as BOH has been saying for days, the only approved tests are the ones from the trusted testing partners. This was made very clear by the Lt. Governor in the press conference because the state wants the ability to (or will in fact) verify with the trusted partner. If you are flying on Alaska airlines then the Carbon health test site is an option, otherwise it looks like Walgreens is the only other option.
How is pre-testing done for international travelers? Most of the travel partners doing this pre-testing is for domestic US only. I can’t find anything addressing this issue. If anyone can help please that would be great. Mahalo!
Hi Rich.
Nothing specific has been said about international arrivals so far.
Aloha.
Aloha.
I see no reference to American Airlines and their plans. Do we know if there is something planned by them as well?
Also, on hawaiicovid19.com it states: The inter-island quarantine continues through October 31.
Any additional notes around inter island travel by chance?
Thank you much!
Hi Julieta.
Nothing more on interisland yet. And there was no reference to American. We don’t know why. Good questions. Thanks.
Aloha.
I’m having a challenge locating a place to test in Oregon. Do you know of any?
It looks like Vault is a do at home test which u mail in is going to be your best bet. I live in Oregon – not in Portland and it looks like that’s what I will use when I go in middle of November. I miss my 2nd home. I cannot wait. I hope everything works out with the Big Island